Current collector for electric vehicles



March 18 1924,"

v v 1,487,311 G. W. BOWER I CURRENT CdLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES "Eil ed Nov". 18. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheei 1,

, George W Bower,

. Inventor: i"

' His Attor ey? March 18 1924. 1;4s7,3v1-1 G. w. BOWER CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR ELEcTRId VEHICLES Fil ed Nov. 18. 1921 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Y I Iflventor GenreWBowegf His Attorney,

l v To (all whom itma e concern;

Patented 1 Beit known that I, G

citizen of the United States; reeiding et 1 Schenectady, coilnty ofjS cl ienectedy mm. of New York, have invented certain newjarnd useful Improvelnente in Current Collectors whi h l e fdllq for Electric Vehicles, of

ingis a specification.

The present invention relates gdmttfiti the vehicle makes conneotion with Qsupply wires suspended above and along the high way and in whichthere rare lne ztrecksl or I other means for defining the coiil sefof thej vehicle. 1

Diuring recent-vears e t e p I I M V v o base 0 9 b -tqe a eifl e mo n terials and laborshasflprevented stree reilway companies from extending their-pen merly to be adapted ito caring for; t .tively light trafiic, at leeet esiiee d of their unrelieble performenceend thehigh cost ofmotive power and fnpkeepftheyjhelveq not; as a rule, been found: satisfactory to the emtion, which ;i s regardedvee:necessaiyfirom the p vehicle of relatively pass n e 'pacityr l w The object oi my to; p1 an improved trolley structure and operating means therefor which the driver of agtracki- "less vehicle ,provided therewith ,1 mzty raise" and lower and otherwise nmneuvernwith:fa-

cility and sefetyjwithout leaving? hi s l nsnztlf station at the front end ofi the vehicle whioh y will maintain operative; rel'etion. with efpeir ofoverhead wires with the jvehiclef' noving t either res end 1 alongga path: considerabledietanee side of the verticalfpleneof the 5 p which mayv be adapted'with facilityfltooperate in conjnnction with the-eingle lcondncto-rYip p p I V tween t o y ir the'mat e ft-m t .-Wire of the usual street railway System V: l

; II M, LiE iQB B EQWMEH;

"elevation ofjthe iloperati-ng jgegtr Fig g5' is an propulsion of street vehicles and In re ee-J pecially to tracklese trolley;systemsvin which he wi e 1 i v 1 fe iqty manent rightsjof wztygtt the 'Samerete that i urban populations have tended to s pree dgout, 1' The gasolinedriven bosses wereithonght for-7 1 18mm e togthe f --mztin street railway systeme, but on ccounfi 1 q ithi rt br ken-( rw y,

ei l y ple edw e em n Fig. g s agtopgplen of the base; and electrical; T

.conne ionsf; Fig. 8 apart elevationend part f vertical fsectiongof the same;- Fig. tis an end 1 lsuppQ is a s iriiilerview ofth 'Qpep etlng g Big. I; 7' is e perspective view of fen'edepter shqeru e ithe single over-- 1 ise a, side; elevation iof v e r und g qr tr d 5 19 3 13 1" us in {c ilgilllfibiOflW thej adepter' Shoe oveinentieboiit the v vertical 5 axis on Y i-ifi eds to: we ppe n 'l f "01 m pqst fiq xt e rou Te d w hin. w h a o w we we pper. h v its lower end 1 g geer 9 which "ieel'so connected rolley pole 1 a, Ilink lO passing freely? the 111011" she 'I 1gas' s","; l e f-p wood; either. in one piece or v "in StIIPS Wlth en exlztlchannel' for the pas- I Sage theretli-rough{ ot the "insulated conduc:

torspn leadflwires l'lfehd I2 fr't'omthe head :0 the beset The head 1131 15 made in the 1 sha-rpe oi a triangular fraine having diagonal braces lc fzindihoriz ontztl bar-1115M wood orother insulating'meterial,the latter of'which hasT' a, length. more ythan twi c'e" the space besuspended, a ong-the highway; The ho-ri-j' Y altes to pi'event both tiiolley iwires coming in neutr ig he @9119}? in pewe per t p Diligent-vies?nwhe e '7 55 7 so E; The tolly pole-'1:isfforithe eeke of light f '90 ,tween thekpei'r of trolley: wires" (not Shown) conta t with i herl shoe at'th'e. same time Y i 7 end becoining shortfcironitedgthereby. By; wl i b'i Qfth 1 lQY' ed hw hg o metal rt? nglnq lgh! o bridge i the space: he-

ing it even at an obtuse angle to the wires is rendered safe. At the outer ends of the colelctor plates or shoes 16 and 17 are formed brackets 20 with tender loops 21 extending above and beyond the operative surface of the shoes. To the lower ends of the brackets 20 the insulated conductor wires 11 and 12 are attached as shown in Fig. 5. In order that the collector head 13 may readily respond to variations in theelevation of the trolley wires independent of the inertia of the poles, the former is hinged to the latter at 21 a short distance below its outer end and at its end a guard bracket 22 is attached and having pivot-ed thereto two transverse bell cranks 23 with their short arms connected by a tension spring 24 while their long arms are respectively pivoted to the illner sides of the divergent braces 14. The lower end of the pole 1 is provided with a metal casing 25 having a pocket 26 formed in the upper edge. This encased end of the pole is adapted to be received in a socket formed in the end of a cast metal hinge member 27 and secured thereto by a longitudinally movable wedge 28 actuated by a lead screw 29. The lower end of the pole hinge member 27 is bifurcated for the free passage 01"- the forward end of the base 3, while the tip thereol is provided with a transverse V slot 30, in which the knife edge 31 of a spring thrust bar 32 is fulcrinned.

The base 3 has a hollow rearwardly extending arm provided at its outer end with a. T head 34 while its forward end, carrying the hinge shaft 2 of the pole, extends upwardly. The ends of the T head 34 are pierced for the passage of bolts 35 connected respectively to the rear ends of powerful tension springs 36 while the forward ends thereof are connected to the pierced ends of the thrust bar 32 by bolts 37. In the front end of the bracket is a buffer spring 88 arranged to engage the lower end of the hinge member 27 of the pole in case the latter should escape the trolley wires and fiy upwardly. I In order that the pole may be locked in depressed position, as durin shipment or repair he hinge member 27 is provided at its under side with an ear 39 adapted to pass through a hole 40 in the bracket 3 and the latter has on its inner wall a sliding bolt 41 adapted to be moved forward into enga 'ement with the ear 39 and clamped by tightening of the nut 42. At its lower edge the base 3 is provided with transverse flanges 43 in which are rows of holes 44 for bolts 45 by which it is fixed to the base plate 4.

The base plate 4 is of. the nature of a turn table by which the trolley structure is adapted to swing back and forth about a vertical axis and consists of a disk-shaped top 46 with a hub sleeve 47 internally threaded for engagement with the upper end of the hollow shaft 8 and to which it is locked against relative rotation therein by a nut 48. Concentric with the hub sleeve 47 it has a conical step bearing surface adapted to engage and ride upon a cage of tapered rollers 49. Depending from the periphery of the plate 4 and attached thereto by set screws 50 is a split cylindrical guard 51 of sheet metal with two opposite side notches provided in its lower end for the reception of insulation blocks 52.

The thrust ring 5 has a hub sleeve 53 internally threaded for fixed engagement with the upper end of the stationary tubular post 6. In the upper surface of the ring is formed a concentric channel 54, the mid portion of which is formed into a conical step bearing surface upon which the cage of roll ers 49 is supported while the spaces on either side thereof serve as grease retainers. About the outer surface of the hub sleeve .53 and concentric therewith are three insulating washers 55 which have between them and insulated thereby two contact rings 56 and 57 and clamped in place by rolts 58 tapped into the under side of the thrust ring. These contact rings have connected respectively to their inner walls insulated conductor wires 59 and 60 which lead to the electric motor and lighting circuits of the vehicle in the usual way.

In sliding engagement with the outer peripheries of the rings 56 and 57 are contact bands 61 and 62, each having its ends turned outwardly and adjustably and yielda-bly itas tened together by a tangent screw 63 having a spring surrounding its shank and pressing against the adjacent end of the band, while at a point diametrically opposite the bent out ends each band has formed therein a thrust projection or loop 64. One 01": the outturned ends of each band is provided with a binding screw 65 for connecting an end of the respective conductor wires 11 and 12 therewith. In order to insure that the bands 61 and 62 rotate with. the trolley about its vertical axis without binding thereon the outwardly bent ends of each band and its thrust projection or loop 64 are disposed in mortises formed in the oppositely disposed insulating blocks 52.

The stationary hollow post 6 passes tirough the car roof, indicated at 7 in Fig. 1, and is rigidly secured in place by a root collar 66 and a number of steady braces 67 connected thereto above and below the roof by collars 68 and 69 and the outer ends of which are adapted to be bolted todistributed points in the car roof. At the lower end of the post 6 is clamped a bell-shaped shell 70 in which is positioned the outer race of a cylindrical roller bearing 71.

The hollow shaft 8 being carried by the base plate 4 its upper end is held in axial position thereby while its lower end has screw threaded thereon'1affianged rcollarr72 iwhich is held in aXialpositio'irby thei roller bearing 71; Theflanged collar172 aha rig! idly bolted'thereto theoframe73ofthe operf- V i ".tracklesstrolleycari s on streetsnot equipped;

l withtrack'railsorthe conimon single trolley. g wire,litgisyoften necessary to provide such 7' cars with m ans wherebytheyxmay' operate 7 1 in 'the'jcustomary, Tmannerof street cars runating gear 9. V i

The operating gear cal frame 78 having a vertical, channel in which is guided a toothed rack'7 l connected to the lower end of the link 10which is con; nected at its u per end thereof at 7 5 sto the socket piece 2 of the .trolley. pole.fi The]. means for drawing down'the "rack 17" and o with it the trolleyipole inoppositiontothe tension otthe powerful springs 3opcomprises V cdetacha-bl'e: contact shoe '93 (see Figsgland 7) 7 adapted to be seatedastride theiinsulat- L V 7 ing spacer bracket 19 and'coniprising a metalL a spiral hoop gear 76 driven-through'double reduction spur gears77 7 8,' 79' and BOfrOmkaW hand wheel 81, andina order that thespi'ral hoop gear may be readily: moved outlofthe" path of thetoothed rackfl topermitctlie latterto play up and. down freely while the trolley head is in operative engagementfwith the trolley wires,it and itsoperatingjgears are. mounted on a pendulum bracket 822Ypiv oted at 83 near the upper end otthexvertical frame 7 3 and provided at its lower endi'with guide fingers 84 which embrace opposite sides ofthe frame 73, the'meanswforlcausing' the bracket 82' to swing outwardly C0'm prises a helical cam: 85 pivoted .jnearvthe lower end ofthe frame 7.3;and engaging in notch 86' at the lower enclofthe bracketjylt is actuated by' a handle 87 ;p-ivoted-thereto and provideduwithja heel I88 adaptedtoTn a e in eachiextremei osition withon'e or 7 7 other of the notches 89 and90 formed iatlthe .ends of-a quadrant intthe lower endi o fzgthe e frame 73 and thereby latchath'e cam 85win such extremeposition' The earn is engaged by a biasing spring 91normally1tendingfto move it, into .rack engagingnposition and the handle 87 is engagedby'a biasing-spring 92 normally tending .to move" it g outwardly' with its heel88 tending to move into latching poi return circuit wire will be switched out by- 1 sition.' o o a is desired to engage the trolley head with thetrolley wires the operator by exerting torque on theoperatingwheeltin a horizontal direction :causes" :thei trolley ,to

swing" sidewise about the vertical axis of the base until it is directly beneathi-them'i then by. rotating the. hand wheel 81 permit ting the rack w'fil to backofi and the-trolley to rise under the recoil of: its lsprings'fiduntil its head contacts with the trolley Iwires. "Thegear releasing handle 87 is then pulled, forward and thrown around to theho'rizonetal position causing spiral cam 85' toyinove the pendulum bracket 82 backwardly J and freeing thespiral hoop'76 from thepath of the toothed rack 74:. When it is desi'redto] lower the trolley,'the'spiralhoop andrack are brought into engagement andthe operating wheel 81 rotated in the oppositedirec;

tion. In case it is-desired to 1secure"thetrolley pole in its lowered position, the wheel81;

"brought to its hlowest'positiong andthe U is tiirned '5 until [the socket member "1s ing ean isshot home.

l ning on; tracks and receiving current from a casting with its; upper surface provided with 75. t single joverhead wire,*.asin thefcase of getting; a the carto, andfrom a carbarn located at V 7 some distance from. the point otjuncture 0f the; two systems. II accordingly-provide a1 a groove 94 adapted to m'akeslidingengage v @me'nt in: well known ,nianner' with a single F I ktrolley wireand its frogsmad-crossovers and withfiitsslower -"side provided-with claws :95 "and 96 adapted to rest upon andmake good I contactwith- 'both collector shoes 16 and 17' andigwith two ears 9? for thereceptionfof a bolt ,98 adaptedfto passthroughi the spacerv bracket 19 to secure the shoe thereon. In t order to make a good ground connectio-n for .theireturn circuit,fa trackfshoeas shown in" l ,8 is provided beneath the car and normallyx.latched inelevated position but ap able I ofbeing lowered into contact with the track railwhenever the temporary contactshoe 93 is: to v be used." The track 7 shoe comprises-a sho tx'me al-bl k 9' d pte ide a n the top" of atrack rail and provided at one endgwithfla hinge connection to a double jointedidraft rodlOO. In order, to insure *good contact between track and shoe, the lat- 3 ter is provided with a magnetizing coil 101 in; the end of the circuit'wire '1'02efrom theoar rmotoigf VVhenjthetrack shoe is usedthe trolley l the -usualdisconnecting means; on' the car.

power pole,

pole arranged to be'mounted'fon the roof "embodiment"ofjtheinventionknown to me, qgIldOfIlOtrdSllBvtQ be restricted thereto V V "WhatI claim as new and-desire to secure y by Letters Patent of the United seams-f if 1.1 The combination Iwith-apivotedtrolley -pole,'- of' yieldingi pressure means tending; to; turn' said pole on its pivot,- manually driven power :means tort-m wing said pole in opposition gto said yielding pressure: means, and means for connecting and disconnecting said 1 1 means "with and 'frorn said trolley f above the roof and tending to turn thepole 7 on its :pivot,,,manua1ly driveng power'means located below the'rooffor "moving the pole "in opposition to the yielding pressure means 4 and means also below the root for connect ing and disconnecting said power means with and from saidtrolley pole.

3. The combination with a pivoted L p is, a support forthe pole arranged to be mounted on the roof or a vehicle, yielding pressure means carried by the support and attached to the pole lifting its end, a member which is attached to the pole and extends downward through the support and the roof, manually tuaeed means located below the "3001 which co-oi ate with the member for moving the pole opposition to the yielding ssure means, and other means also below the roof for coinec and disconnecting manually actuated means with and from said member.

4. The combination with a pivoted. trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, rack and gear power means for moving said pole in opposition to said yielding pressure means, and means for freeing and bringing together said rack and gear power means,

5. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, a rack connected to move with said pole, a hoop adapted to engage said rack and move said pole in opposition to said yielding pressure means, and means for freeing and bringing together said hoop gear and said rack. I

6. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, a rack connected to move with said pole, power gearing for actuating said rack, and a pivoted bracket supporting said power gearing and adapted to carry it into and out of operative engagement with said rack.

th a pivoted trolley 7. The combination W1 pole, of yielding pressure means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, a rack connected to move with said pole, power gearing for actuating said rack, a pivoted bracket supporting said power gearing, and means to move said bracket on its pivot to carry said gearin into and out of engagement with said rack.

8. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, a rack connected to move with said pole, a guide frame for said rack, power gearing for actuating said rack, a bracket supporting said power geari g and pivoted at one end on said guide flame, and means between said guide frame and the other end oi sa'd bracket for moving the latter back forth and holding it extreme position.

lhe combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding press re means tending to turn said pole on its pivot, a rack connected to move with said pole, a guide frame part said raclz, power gearing for actuating rack, a bracket supporting said power gearing and pivoted one end on said guide frame part, a spiral cam mounted on one of said parts and operatively engaging the other, and means for locking said spiral cam in extreme position.

10 The combinatioi'i with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending to move saic pole on its pivot, a base for said pole movable on a vertical axis, rack connected to move with said. pole, power gearing movable into and out of engagement with said rack, and a hand part carried by said base adapted to actuate said power gearing and rack to control the pivotal movements of said pole and to actuate saic support to control the side movements of said pole.

11. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole, of yielding pressure means tending t move said pole on its pivot, a base for said pole movable on a vertical axis, a rack connected to move up and down with said pole, a guide frame for said rack rigidly connected to said base, a bracket pivoted to said guide frame on a transverse axis, power aring and a hand wheel therefor carried 7 said bracket, and means for swinging ,id bracket on its pivot and fixing it in exems position.

12. The combination with a trolley base, of a stationary support in which said base is iournalled, contact rings concentrically connected through insulation to said support, insulating blocks secured to said base, and slip contact bands supported by said insulating blocks in contact with said rings and each band provided with a thrust projection.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of November, 1921.

GEORGE W. BOWER.

U) gap 

